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How the World Really Works
- How Science Can Set Us Straight on Our Past, Present and Future
- Narrated by: Stephen Perring
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
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How the World Really Works
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
We have never had so much information at our fingertips, and yet most of us simply don't understand how our world really works. Professor Vaclav Smil is not a pessimist or an optimist, he is a scientist, and this book is a much-needed reality check on topics ranging from food production and nutrition, through energy and the environment, to globalisation and the future. For example, the carbon footprint of meat is well known, but did you know that the equivalent of five tablespoons of diesel fuel goes into the production of each greenhouse-grown, medium-size, supermarket-bought tomato? The gap between belief and reality is vast.
Drawing on the latest science, tackling sources of misinformation head-on and championing a rational, fact-based approach, in How the World Really Works Smil shows, for example, why the planet isn't 'suffocating' (even burning all the planet's fossil fuels would reduce oxygen levels by just 0.25 per cent) and that globalisation isn't 'inevitable' and nor should it be (the stupidity of allowing 70 per cent of the world's rubber gloves to be made in just one factory became glaringly obvious in 2020).
Ultimately, Smil answers the most profound question of our age: are we irrevocably doomed, or is a brighter utopia ahead? Compelling, data-rich and revisionist, this wonderfully broad, interdisciplinary masterpiece finds faults with both extremes. Looking at the world through this quantitative lens reveals hidden truths that change the way we see our past, present and uncertain future.
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What listeners say about How the World Really Works
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 27-11-22
A balanced account of where we stand
If you want a balanced account that takes a non-religious view of climate and the future of the world given where we stand now on our reliance upon fossil fuels, this is your book.
Also, I really appreciate the way the author addresses poor nations rights to using their own natural resources to improve their situation, something largely ignored by most of academia.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- eteka
- 11-06-23
The author’s attempt is disarmingly impressive!
The book tackles a few things:
- the central role of energy (in its many forms) through the many civilisations we have experienced
- This role seats at the foundation of today’s complex world therefore replacing it (by 2050) won’t be as easy (or is probably unnecessary) and points to realistic actions we are overlooking
- Efforts should focus on facts and not forecast by the Ecoworriors (Armageddons) or the Technoworriors (Cornucopians)
- using relatable units of measurements such as the number of teaspoons of crude oil needed to produce bread or tomatoes to aid comparisons and understanding
- You’d be left with an impressive command of knowledge or what seems like an unbeatable quest to amass all forms of knowledge.
I think it is a solid contribution writings needed to understand how life in today’s society impacts the planet and some high yielding actions that can start making a dent on reversing some of the negative impacts.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Mitch Welzen
- 25-03-23
this book definitely fires up economic thinking
interesting read, hard to remember any of the numbers mentioned. definitely open yourself up to economic thinking
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Callum Keating
- 17-11-22
Great book lots of figures
Great book for grounding yourself with realistic expectations for the future and climate change as a whole, sometimes in this book it does feel like you are looking through a figure sheet, but overall great.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Paul O'Sullivan
- 25-08-22
Data-led Observation with a healthy dose of reality.
An neutral approach to quantifying the world we live in and the materials we rely on everyday. Neither pro-cornucopian or fatalistic, but a stark reality check.
It would be fantastic if world leaders dictating our future had even the slightest grasp on this data before composing their rallying-cry’s and furling polarisation.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ian Humphries
- 22-06-23
Huge gain of information in this read !
I’ve read few books that impart such knowledge in a clear and concise way. Nicely written and read. I feel hugely better informed
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- Mr. Mark Hanson
- 29-08-22
Slightly depressing take on the world.
I can never understand whether Smil is optimistic or pessimistic about our future.
though he loves debunking some silly ideas so maybe we can give him the benefit of the doubt.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- wamco
- 28-05-22
Hope I never get this cynical
Interesting data based analysis of foundational principles of human existence but increasingly difficult to listen to due to poor understanding and cynical treatment of emerging technologies, particularly AI. Despite the authors claims of not making predictions about the future due to the vast array of possible outcomes making it impossible, he makes increasingly bold prophecies, especially about the near pointlessness of some technological pursuits in the face of fundamental resource and environmental imperatives - a self contradictory position reminiscent of the perfunctory judgement of everyone's 'favourite uncle'. The basic message is don't be dazzled by visions of a better technology enabled future, it's all about Amonia, Concrete, Steel and Plastic - perhaps but and he does not seem to understand the purpose of computer modelling as a means of rapidly exploring multiple future scenarios, constraints and opportunities - pointless bunk apparently.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- Jens
- 20-05-23
Many good points but somewhat tedious to get through
This audiobook was rather tedious to get through. It was recommended to me so stuck with it although I probably zoned out at times. The remarks about woke people who are concerned about the future got a bit petulant towards the end, The narrator’s voice is not to my taste but that is admittedly very subjective.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- P. Amery
- 25-09-22
brilliant book
worth a very close listen. Smil debunks all the guff that we read and hear on energy, the climate and human progress
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2 people found this helpful